CRISTIANO Ronaldo has claimed that his move to Al Nassr in January has been the catalyst for the influx of talent to the Saudi Pro League.
Following his controversial interview with Piers Morgan, Ronaldo found himself unwelcome at Manchester United by the club and its fans. Consequently, he made a lucrative move to Al Nassr when it became clear that no top European team was pursuing him.
The 38-year-old football star has lauded the young talent of Portugal’s Jota, but he firmly believes that no player would be in the league without his initial move.
As reported by the Daily Record, Ronaldo stated:
“I opened the way to the Saudi league, and now all the players are coming here.
“European football has lost a lot of quality. The only valid one and still doing good is the (English) Premier League. They’re way ahead of all the other leagues. My decision to join Saudi clubs was 100% crucial to bring in new top players. It’s a fact.
“When I joined Juventus, Serie A was dead and then after I signed… it was revived. Wherever Cristiano goes he generates higher interest. They criticised me for coming to Saudi League, but what happened now? In a year Saudi league will overtake the Turkish league and Dutch league. Players who arrived aren’t like what the president of the European Union said. Jota and Ruben Neves are young players.”
Humble as ever.
Jota made a high-profile move to Al-Ittihad at the beginning of the month, earning Celtic a substantial fee and himself a weekly wage nearing 200,000 pounds. Both he and the club found the offer too good to refuse.
With the season kick-off less than three weeks away, Celtic’s focus now shifts to finding a replacement for the left wing.
